Man accused of slamming girlfriend to floor, fighting family members

SYCAMORE – A 21-year-old with a previous domestic battery conviction faces misdemeanor charges after police said he slammed his girlfriend to the floor by her neck, tried to push her down the stairs, threw beer bottles at her and then fought with members of her family.

Raymond E. Ritchason, of the 300 block of Park Avenue in Sycamore, is charged with two counts of domestic battery, each punishable by up to a year in jail.

Sycamore police said in court records that just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, after chasing his girlfriend out of his home and throwing beer bottles at her, Ritchason pushed her mother, who had come to pick her up, and then proceeded to fight her mother’s 12-year-old son, who’d come to her defense.

According to the records, Ritchason told police he and his girlfriend were fighting over her saying she was leaving, and that she was the aggressor – he showed them a scratch on his right shoulder.

The victim told police her left wrist and hand were injured, and showed them red indentations on her neck, the records show.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kaitlin Hargate said in court Wednesday that she had spoken with the victim in Tuesday’s incident, and that she told Hargate the situation was ongoing and escalating.

Judge Marcy Buick honored the state’s request for bond to be set at $5,000, an amount Ritchason said he wouldn’t be able to post. Should he post it, he’ll be placed on restrictive electronic home monitoring and not allowed to have contact with the victim.

Ritchason was convicted of domestic battery in January, for drunkenly pushing and shoving his sister while throwing punches, court records show. He was sentenced to two years of conditional discharge, including anger management and alcohol treatment, as well as 100 hours of public service.

Ritchason will be back in court at 1:30 p.m. July 14.